Saturday, March 16, 2013

LAKE COUNTY -- Two-way radio communication enthusiasts have the chance to win a President Washington 40 Channel AM and Side Band CB Radio this month.

The Lake County Radio Community (LCRC) is looking for candidates to give
away several installed and working radio base stations free-of-cost
within the coming months. Desired candidates are people who have time to devote to the hobby, but may not have the necessary funds to purchase a radio.

The radio will come with a microphone, mast, antenna and coax.

LCRC is reaching out to residents on the west side of Clear Lake in
towns including Glenhaven, Lucerne, Upper Lake, Lakeport and
Kelseyville.

The two-way radio communication hobby was most popular in the 70s and
80s, and has experienced resurgence with base and mobile radio stations
popping up around the county.
Candidates do not need to have past experience transmitting, and no license is required.

LCRC will provide hands-on training and provide documentation with each
base station put into operation, as required by the Federal
Communication Commission (FCC).

With the radio and gear provided, people will be able to talk loudly and clearly throughout the area.
Candidates must be 18 years or older and live on the west side of the lake.

The radio and gear belongs to LCRC and cannot be sold, radio winners may
keep them as long they as maintain a consistent transmission. For those
who decide to no longer transmit, the gear will be uninstalled free-of-charge and passed along to another candidate.

For more information, email dave@rhythmmatters.org with address and phone number, or call 483-4792 and ask for Dave.

Friday, March 15, 2013

It doesn't get much more underground than Hollow Earth Radio,
operating down a dark hole in the wall in Seattle's Central District.
The non-profit, independent radio station puts its uniquely Seattle spin
on things.

“The vision of Hollow Earth Radio is to represent Northwest culture
and underrepresented voices,” said DJ Jesse Boggs, in between songs on
his daily show.

In a world where people are forced to consume corporate media,
independent voices like those at Hollow Earth are largely silent. Now,
however, comes a rare opportunity to take over the airwaves

In October, the FCC will make the rare move of offering thousands
of free licenses to 100 watt, non-profits to run their own radio
stations. About eight will be available per zip code in King County.

“You literally can operate it out of your basement,” said Barb
Morgen of Seattle’s Brown Paper Tickets, a major supporter of the
initiative.

One-hundred watts is enough to power a light bulb and carry a radio
signal up to 10 miles. From there, the possibilities are endless.

“It can be issue based. It can be neighborhood based. It's really
whatever is important to the community,” said Morgen. “It’s giving the
public airwaves back to the public.”

The FCC will start accepting applications in October, but it is an
arduous process. The folks at Brown Paper Tickets are willing to help.
You can find more information on the Brown Paper Tickets website.

The illegal seizure of wind-up radios reached
new levels this week with reports that the police are now using primary
school pupils to source information about the receivers.

Villagers in Lupane revealed that the police have been visiting
schools and asking little children in Grade 0 and Grade 1(aged between 4
and 6 years) whether their parents own or listen to any radios.

This follows reports that suspected state security agents on Tuesday
raided several homesteads at Mpofu village in the Gwampa area and
confiscated the wind-up radios.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa one villager who asked not to be named
for fear of reprisals, said the police have been going to schools,
writing down names, and then visiting those suspected of owning the
radios by night.

She said although the agents will be wearing civilian clothes, the
villagers know it is the police since they have been announcing their
ban on radios.

Our source said she suspects the police are aware of the popularity
of shortwave radios in the area, hence they are now confiscating them.

"The police have been announcing that villagers should not be in
possession of these radios. Their reason is that we listen to news
broadcasts from outside the country which criticise ZANU PF.

"Such harassment by the state security agents normally escalates
during election time, which indicates that we are not free to exercise
our individual choices if we can't even listen to different views
offered by these shortwave radio stations," she added.

On Tuesday an MDC official from Mpofu Village, Cosmas Phiri, told the
NewsDay newspaper that MDC members were raided shortly before midnight
on Monday.

Phiri, who was with some of the affected villagers, told NewsDay that
a group of state security agents confiscated at least 10 radios from
more than 10 people.

The night raids have stirred up fear within the community, following
threats that those who refused to surrender their radio receivers will
be abducted and "made to disappear" invoking memories of Gukurahundi.

Since the announcement of the constitutional referendum date on
February 15th, Zimbabwean police have embarked on a nationwide campaign
targeting civic society organisations and individuals.

On February 19th the police announced a ban on 'specially designed'
radios, which they argued will be used to promote hate speech ahead of
the polls.

Following the ban several organisations have been raided, including
community radio initiative Radio Dialogue where police seized more than
180 wind-up radio sets and arrested its managing editor.

Last month, officers ransacked the offices of poll observers ZESN as
well as those of violence monitoring group the Zimbabwe Peace Project
(ZPP), in search of the so-called "illegal" radios.

The police have since arrested ZPP head Jestina Mukoko and charged
her with, among other things, illegally importing short wave radios.

Police in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, 19 February,
2013 banned the possession of "specially designed radios" and other
communication devices on suspicion they are being used to communicate
hate speech ahead of Zimbabwe's March referendum and general elections.

Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, told a
news conference in Harare that possession and distribution of the
devices in question was illegal.

She further accused some political parties of distributing the
'illegal devices' to unsuspecting members of the public with the
intention "to sow seeds of disharmony within the country especially now
that the country is about to embark on the referendum and harmonised
elections".

The ban against the "specially designed radios" and communication
devices came in the wake of a police raid on the offices of the Zimbabwe
Election Support Network (ZESN) offices in Harare and the southern town
of Masvingo.

Although the Zimbabwe Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern
Africa (MISA-Zimbabwe) is not certain as to the exact specifications of
the "specially designed radios" referred to by Charamba, these, however,
could be transistor or portable radios being distributed to enhance
citizens' right to access to information especially in remote areas that
do not have access to mainstream media.

MISA-Zimbabwe position

MISA-Zimbabwe notes with grave concern the recent move by police to
confiscate "communication devices" from the public, which devices
according to the State-owned newspaper, The Herald, of Wednesday, 20
February 2013, includes radio sets.

Of particular concern to MISA-Zimbabwe is the lack of clarity on what
exactly these "communications devices" that were confiscated were, as
well as the lack of clarity on what basis the radio sets or their
distribution is also deemed illegal.

MISA-Zimbabwe calls upon the police to specifically state the exact
nature of the illegal devices and the relevant laws that criminalise
their possession as opposed to arbitrary actions that infringe on
constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.

It is not clear as yet, on what basis possession of devices such as
radios meant to receive broadcasting services can be deemed illegal as a
reading of section 38B of the Broadcasting Services Act states that one
is not prohibited from possession of a receiver as long as it is in
accordance with the terms and conditions of a listener's licence as
issued by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).

The importance of a radio set cannot be over-emphasised as it is a
generally affordable gadget used for receiving information by the
public. The right to receive and impart information and ideas is
enshrined in Section 20 of the current constitution as a vital component
of citizens' right to freedom of expression.

This same right is also enshrined in Article 9 of the African Charter
on Human and People's Rights of which Zimbabwe is party to.

Access to information is a fundamental part of freedom of expression,
which will assist citizens in making informed decisions and choices
during the referendum and the forthcoming elections.

It is therefore critical that the police in their efforts to maintain
law and order should not unilaterally infringe the public's right to
information, especially as the country heads for the referendum and
elections.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The antenna for WJTW is attached to a palm
tree behind the radio station’s studio in Jupiter. (Bruce R. Bennett/The
Palm Beach Post)

While there are several ways to grow a radio station’s audience, not many include fertilizer.

But then, few radio stations use a 70-foot Washingtonian palm tree planted in back of its studio as an antenna pole.

“We
try to take good care of that tree,” said Tom Boyhan, the owner of
low-power WJTW, 100.3 FM, known as “Jupiter’s Home Town Radio Station.”
“Our first one got hit by lightning.”

The palm tree was Boyhan’s
workaround of a Town of Jupiter rule prohibiting antennas more than 50
feet tall near residential areas.

With an extra dose of fertilizer
and regular watering, a few more listeners each year from Palm Beach
Gardens to Hobe Sound might be able to tune in to the station’s mix of
local news and nostalgia, with songs that range from ’50s crooners to
’70s soft rock, salted with plenty of show tunes.

“The joke around
town is the taller that palm, the better the signal,” said Jennifer
Sardone-Shiner, marketing director of Maltz Jupiter Theatre.

On a
local radio dial dominated by homogenized super stations with corporate
formats devised in board rooms, tiny home-grown WJTW is radio’s
artisanal micro-brew.

Instead of “Don’t Touch That Dial” bombast,
there’s a handmade quality to the airwaves emanating from this four-room
office suite, where the transmitter room is the size of a closet and
the production studio doesn’t have soundproofing.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) March 12, 2013 Brown Paper Tickets,
the Not-Just-For-Profit event registration and ticketing company, is
launching a National Make Radio Challenge during South-by-Southwest
(SXSW) to bring awareness and guidance to nonprofits eligible to apply
for a low-power FM (LPFM) radio license, in preparation for a once-in-a-lifetime application window being offered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this fall.

“Now is the time for nonprofits to prepare their application to own a part of the public airwaves,” said Sabrina Roach, a Doer
specializing in public interest media for Brown Paper Tickets. “Most
traditional media have not included the LPFM application window in news
coverage, and the majority of groups eligible to apply are not aware
that this opportunity exists. This is a problem, because the application
will take about three months to complete.

“The National Make Radio
Challenge is needed to make groups aware of the opportunity, to inspire
them to think about how they could use the power of radio to serve their
communities, to guide them to resources that make building and
operating a radio station realistic, and to help them to organize and
successfully complete the application in time,” Roach said.

Journalists who are 25 to 35 years old and from developing countries can apply for a fellowship to report on the United Nations.

The fellowship, sponsored by the Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund for Journalists,
gives participants the opportunity to report on international affairs
during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New
York. Fellows will make professional contacts, interact with seasoned
journalists and gain a broader perspective on global issues.

The fellowship is open to journalists currently working full time in
developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

In an effort to rotate recipient countries, the fellowship will not
consider journalist applications for 2013 from nations selected in 2012:
Argentina, Liberia, Sri Lanka and Tunisia. Journalists from these
countries may apply in 2014.

The fellowship includes travel, accommodations and a per diem allowance.

Iran is to set up a special committee,
which will control the work of foreign media during presidential
elections slated for June 14, Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic
Guidance for Press and Information Mohammad-Jafar Mohammadzadeh said
Monday.

He added that that the registration of foreign reporters who are to cover the elections has already begun.

It is now expected the Bills will be discussed by various
parliamentary committees who, it is understood, will seek consultation
from anyone interested in the future of Swaziland's television and
radio. No dates or information are yet forthcoming on the government's
public consultation process.

The Bills appear in the Swaziland Government Gazette of Friday 15 February 2013, vol. LI, No. 19.

Morocco's first annual report on press freedom highlighted the progress that the country has made in the last year.

Communications Minister Mustapha El Khalfi said that 2012 was
characterised by an attitude in the courts that encouraged
reconciliation in cases involving journalists, and the creation of a
system of sanctions that does not threaten the economic structure of
press establishments.

The February 23rd document did not mention any physical or moral attack on Moroccan journalists.

The report also claimed that no publication was banned or censored during the past year, and no journalist was sent to prison.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS — During his more than 20 years on the radio, Axel
Contreras has gotten plenty of listener recognition — fans routinely
call to request a song or compliment his news coverage.

This past
weekend, though, the 38-year-old Contreras finally received some
official recognition to match, in the form of two awards from the
Colorado Broadcasters Association.

At the association's annual
banquet in Denver, Contreras won best afternoon show in the small market
category for “The Axel Contreras Show.” It airs from 2-6 p.m. every
weekday on 94.5 FM KQSE, also know as ‘La Nueva Mix.'

AMSAT's focus on STEM education and development of a cubesat
platform capable of flying a science mission with a reliable
communications link resulted in our previous selection of Fox-1 in the third round and RadFxSat
(Fox-1B) in the recent fourth round
of NASA's Cubesat Launch Initiative. Actual launch vehicle
selections are dependent on the availability of auxiliary payload space
and on what orbits are required.

AMSAT VP Engineering Tony Monteiro reports that he has been in
conversation with NASA about our orbital preferences/priorities
and we're awaiting a response from NASA as to a specific launch
selection. In the meantime, the engineering team expects to complete
Fox-1 in 2013 and have RadFxSat ready in the 2nd half of 2014 in
order to take advantage of launch opportunities that may be
offered by NASA.

Fox-1 and the RadFxSat missions are based on similar system architecture.

European thought leader Guillaume Klossa is to join the management
team of the European Broadcasting Committee (EBU) as Director of Public
Affairs and Communications (PAC).

His responsibilities include the EBU's Public Affairs office in
Brussels, and the Media Intelligence Service (MIS), the Knowledge &
Information Unit and the Communications Service in Geneva.

Mr Klossa, who is French, will report to EBU director general Ingrid Deltenre.

Mrs Deltenre said Mr Klossa's arrival at the EBU is timely, as the
organization helps prepare Members to face a future characterised by
change.

"This new position underlines the increasing importance communication
and public affairs play in highlighting the value of Public Service
Media in advancing democracy and society," said Ms Deltenre. "Mr
Klossa's political insight and experience of strategic issues will be a
major strength to the EBU as we work towards achieving the best possible
legal, financial and technical frameworks for our Members."

Mr Klossa said he looked forward to taking up his position on July 1
and contributing towards the development of a modern PSM strengthened by
innovation drawn from a solid base of knowledge.

"I am extremely proud to be joining the EBU. At a time of profound
change, the need for strong Public Service Media (PSM) is immense. In
promoting excellence, innovation and pluralism, and as a provider of
quality content in the digital age, their contribution to a lively
democracy is unparalleled."

In his present role, Mr Klossa chairs EuropaNova, the Paris-based NGO
he established in 2003 to promote dialogue on European issues and foster
a new generation of opinion shapers. He has also acted as an advisor to
the Reflection Group for the Future of Europe and was previously VP,
Communications & Corporate Affairs, McDonalds, France.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
(BMZ) and international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) have agreed to
open The German Development Media Awards to applicants from Africa,
Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

The German Development Media Awards recognise excellence in human
rights and development journalism. The awards champion media
independence around the world and emphasize the important role human
rights and development work play in strengthening democracy, good
governance, civil society and the freedom of the press.

Germany’s State Secretary Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz and DW Akademie
Director Gerda Meuer presented the new concept for the German
Development Media Awards. "We want to show that human rights aren't
abstract theory, but that they influence the development of every single
one of us," said Mr Beerfeltz. “The aim of the new initiative, he
said, is to encourage journalists around the world to report critically
on grievances and abuses, but also to tell successful and unusual
stories about development”, Ms Meuer added.

Journalists from the Awards' target regions are eligible to compete
for one of the seven categories. Their entries can be stories in all
journalistic formats: print, radio, TV and online. While the competition
is open to Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian and
Spanish languages, other entries can be accepted provided they are in
one of Deutsche Welle's 30 broadcast languages, and are accompanied by a
translation into one of the official competition languages.

Overall winners will be chosen for Africa, Asia, Latin America, the
Middle East, Eastern Europe and Germany. The winner of the seventh media
award - the People's Choice Award for Human Rights Photography - will
be determined by an online vote.

Friday, March 08, 2013

MONTREAL, March 6, 2013 /CNW/ - TSN Radio 690 in Montreal
officially began its campaign today to retain its status as an
English-language, all-sports radio station. After an impressive response
from sports fans in Montreal who passionately voiced their support,
parent company Bell Media has filed an application with the Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to keep TSN Radio 690 as it is.

Beginning today, listeners can help save TSN Radio 690 by signing a petition and/or writing to the CRTC at a newly launched website, SaveTSN690.ca.

Bell Media had earlier proposed to convert the station to a
French-language RDS sports station to meet the CRTC's radio ownership
policy, which led to an outpouring of community support to preserve TSN Radio 690
in its present English-language format. As a result, the company is now
requesting to operate four English-language stations (two AM and two
FM) in Montreal - one more than what is generally permitted under CRTC
rules. This exception will allow Bell Media to continue to own and
operate TSN Radio 690 and maintain its current format as an English-language, all-sports radio station.

"We filed this application on behalf of the thousands of loyal sports fans in Montreal who passionately articulated how TSN Radio 690 and English all-sports radio coverage remains such a valued service to the community," said Wayne Bews, General Manager, TSN Radio 690 Montreal.
"All of us at the station were overwhelmed and humbled by the support
of Montreal sports fans last summer. We are asking our listeners to
rally once again and join the drive to save TSN Radio 690 and ensure the English all-sports format remains a vibrant part of the Montreal sports scene."

As part of the request for an exception to the CRTC's common
ownership policy for radio, made public today, Bell Media has confirmed
the following:

Bell Media would continue to own and operate TSN Radio 690 - and maintain its current English all-sports format for at least the next seven years

English-language radio coverage of Montreal Canadiens games will continue to be broadcast in the greater Montreal area on TSN Radio 690 for the duration of its current broadcast agreement with the team

TSN Radio 690 will contribute $245,000 over the next seven years
to sports journalism scholarships at Concordia University and to amateur
sports in Montreal

The exception will have no adverse effects on other radio stations in the market or on the entry of new competitors

About TSN Radio 690 MontrealTSN Radio 690
is Montreal's English-language all-sports station. As the official home
of the Montreal Canadiens, the station broadcasts every Habs game live
on AM 690 in Montreal and nationally online at TSN.ca/Montreal. Along with wall-to-wall coverage of the Canadiens, TSN Radio 690
delivers in-depth coverage of all Montreal sports teams, including the
Alouettes and the Impact. Led by Elliott Price, Ted Bird, and Shaun
Starr in the morning, Tony Marinaro in the mid-morning, and Mitch
Melnick in the afternoon, TSN Radio 690 delivers an all-star
line-up of local coverage. The station was launched in 2001 under its
original name Team Radio. It was rebranded to TSN Radio in October 2011
and moved to AM 690 in September 2012 to improve the station's reception
for fans.

Broadcasters from around the region are meeting in Malaysia to build upon a regional disaster warning system.

They are attending a two-day workshop on Emergency Warnings and
Disaster Risk Reduction Broadcasting, an initiative by the ABU and the
UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The ABU Disaster Risk Reduction Broadcast Media Initiative project
aims to establish broadcasters and their networks as a party in the work
of national disaster management systems in countries at risk.

Project Consultant Walter Welz told the workshop in Kuala Lumpur that
each of the project countries was at different stages of early warning
and early warning broadcasting.

“Our objective is not to bring every country to the same level but
rather to further develop the capacity of each of the project
countries,” he said. “But because each country is at a different level,
there are tremendous opportunities for sharing experience, knowledge and
expertise.”

The first day of the workshop on 8 March 2013 scheduled several
sessions with a variety of presenters from throughout the region sharing
their expertise and experiences. The second day is set aside for
induction briefings for broadcasters new to the scheme.

The organisers say it is not enough for governments and disaster
warning agencies to provide information to the media. Broadcasters in
particular need to develop fast and effective ways of getting that
message to their audiences and - just as important – the population must
have receivers able to pick up warnings as they are transmitted.

“The broadcasters role in Early Warning and Disaster Risk Reduction
requires an understanding of two different perspectives”, says Russell
Isaac, Director of SMS and ABU project consultant.

“There is a necessity is to form a link between NGOs and Government
bodies so that media participation comes in a positive and inventive
manner. The media has to take on a responsibility and be proactive in
their approach rather than reactive. If they only react, lives will
already have been lost! The aims of the media and the organisations
concerned need to be mutually understood and continually re-stressed,”
Mr Isaac added.

The new local radio station for Cape Town now has a name, Smile
90.4fm. This was announced by the joint chairpersons of Cape Town Radio,
Anant Singh and Dr Ernest Messina on Wednesday, 6 March 2013.

They stated, "Our purpose is to use the broadcast frequency we have
been entrusted with to build audience and client relationships, bridge
cultural divides, promote a sense of community, do good business and
spread optimism while presenting the most entertaining, interesting and
informative audio content which will manifest in the proverbial smile."

Clive Ridgway, programme director of Smile 90.4fm added, "Radio as we
know it is at the media crossroads - facing the challenges of the
internet, new media and social networks. Launching into a world
dominated by new media requires something unique and special. For this
reason, it is launching not as a radio station, but as an audio brand,
with the purpose of making a positive contribution to the Cape Town
community and being relevant in the information age.